bury

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 埋 is associated with burying or filling a space. The kun-readings here are うまる and うめる.
• Basic usage: 埋まる(うまる) describes becoming buried or filled, while 埋める(うめる) describes burying something or filling a gap.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Places filling up and filling a gap
  • 席がすぐに埋まった means that the seats filled up quickly. 埋まる also applies to available places in a course being taken.
  • 隙間を粘土で埋める means filling a gap with clay. 埋める can describe both burying a seed in the ground and filling an empty space.